Output apparatus, program, output system, and output method

Abstract

An output apparatus performing communications with a terminal apparatus and an authentication apparatus includes an authentication request unit to transmit an authentication request of a user to the authentication apparatus to acquire, when authentication of the user has succeeded, terminal apparatus information in association with the user, a terminal apparatus information accumulation unit to accumulate the acquired terminal apparatus information, an output data acquisition unit to acquire output data accumulated in the terminal apparatus from the terminal apparatus specified by the acquired terminal apparatus information in association with the user, and an output processor to output the output data. The output data acquisition unit acquires, upon failing to acquire a response to the authentication request of the user from the authentication apparatus, the output data accumulated in the terminal apparatus from the terminal apparatus specified by the terminal apparatus information in association with the user.

1 . An output apparatus configured to perform communications with a terminal apparatus and an authentication apparatus, the output apparatus comprising:
 an authentication request unit configured to transmit an authentication request of a user to the authentication apparatus to acquire, when authentication of the user has succeeded, terminal apparatus information in association with the user;   a terminal apparatus information accumulation unit configured to accumulate the acquired terminal apparatus information in association with the user;   an output data acquisition unit configured to acquire output data accumulated in the terminal apparatus from the terminal apparatus specified by the acquired terminal apparatus information in association with the user; and   an output processor configured to perform an output process to output the output data, wherein   the output data acquisition unit acquires, upon failing to acquire a response to the authentication request of the user from the authentication apparatus, the output data accumulated in the terminal apparatus from the terminal apparatus specified by the terminal apparatus information in association with the user.   
     
     
         2 . The output apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an output data information acquisition unit configured to acquire output data information relating to the output data accumulated in the terminal apparatus from the terminal apparatus specified by the acquired terminal apparatus information in association with the user; and   an output data selection receiver configured to receive from the user a selected one of the output data acquired from the terminal apparatus based on the acquired output data information.   
     
     
         3 . The output apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein
 when output data acquired from the terminal is determined to be encrypted based on information indicating whether the output data included in the output data information relating to the output data has been encrypted, the output processor performs an output process of the output data after the output data have been decrypted.   
     
     
         4 . The output apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the authentication request unit transmits a certificate information providing request indicating access authorization for the output apparatus to access the terminal apparatus to the authentication apparatus, acquires the certificate information, and transmits a process request with the certificate information to the terminal apparatus.   
     
     
         5 . The output apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein
 the authentication performed by the authentication apparatus is Kerberos authentication.   
     
     
         6 . An output system comprising: a terminal apparatus; an output apparatus; and an authentication apparatus, the terminal apparatus, the output apparatus and the authentication apparatus being connected via a network, wherein
 the authentication apparatus includes
 an authentication processor configured to perform an authentication process of a user; 
 a terminal apparatus information holder configured to hold terminal apparatus information in association with the user; 
 a terminal apparatus information provider configured to provide the output apparatus with the terminal apparatus information in association with the user who has successfully been authenticated by the authentication processor, as a response to an authentication request from the successfully authenticated user, and wherein 
   the output apparatus includes
 an authentication request unit configured to transmit the authentication request of the user to the authentication apparatus to acquire, when authentication of the user has succeeded, the terminal apparatus information in association with the user; 
 a terminal apparatus information accumulation unit configured to accumulate the acquired terminal apparatus information in association with the user; 
 an output data acquisition unit configured to acquire output data accumulated in the terminal apparatus from the terminal apparatus specified by the acquired terminal apparatus information in association with the user; and 
 an output processor configured to perform an output process to output the output data, wherein 
 the output data acquisition unit acquires, upon failing to acquire the response to the authentication request of the user from the authentication apparatus, the output data accumulated in the terminal apparatus from the terminal apparatus specified by the terminal apparatus information in association with the user. 
   
     
     
         7 . The output system according to  claim 6 , wherein
 the terminal apparatus includes   an output data accumulation processor configured to accumulate output data;   an output data provider configured to provide the output apparatus with the output data based on an output data acquisition request from the output apparatus; and   a setting processor configured to transmit a registration request of the terminal information in association with the user to the authentication apparatus, and register the terminal information in association with the user in the authentication apparatus.   
     
     
         8 . The output system according to  claim 7 , wherein
 the setting processor transmits the registration request of the terminal information in association with the user when the terminal information has changed, or every predetermined time.   
     
     
         9 . The output apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein
 the authentication apparatus includes   a certificate information provider configured to provide the output apparatus with certificate information indicating access authorization for authorizing the output apparatus to access the terminal apparatus; and   a validity determination result provider configured to receive a validity determination request of the certificate information from the terminal apparatus, and provide a validity determination result of the certificate information to the terminal apparatus, wherein   the output apparatus includes   a certificate information request unit configured to transmit a certificate information providing request to request the authentication apparatus to provide the certificate information; and   a process request unit configured to transmit a process request to the terminal apparatus by attaching the certificate information provided from the authentication apparatus to the process request, and wherein   the terminal apparatus includes   a validity determination request unit configured to transmit a validity determination request of the certificate information attached to the process request from the output apparatus to the authentication apparatus; and   a process execution unit configured to perform a process in response to a request from the output apparatus when a validity determination result of the certificate information provided from the authentication apparatus indicates that the certificate information is valid.   
     
     
         10 . An output method executed in an output system, the output system including a terminal apparatus; an output apparatus; and an authentication apparatus, the terminal apparatus, the output apparatus and the authentication apparatus being connected via a network, the output method comprising:
 causing the authentication apparatus to   perform an authentication process of a user,   hold terminal apparatus information in association with the user, and   provide the output apparatus with the terminal apparatus information in association with the user who has successfully been authenticated in the authentication process performed, as a response to an authentication request from the successfully authenticated user; and   causing the output apparatus to   transmit the authentication request of the user to the authentication apparatus to acquire, when authentication of the user has succeeded, the terminal apparatus information in association with the user,   accumulate the acquired terminal apparatus information in association with the user,   acquire output data accumulated in the terminal apparatus from the terminal apparatus specified by the acquired terminal apparatus information in association with the user, and   perform an output process to output the output data, wherein   upon failing to acquire a response to the authentication request of the user from the authentication apparatus, the output data accumulated in the terminal apparatus are acquired from the terminal apparatus specified by the terminal apparatus information in association with the user.